The government’s Executive Cabinet has issued a collective statement stating that ‘the next year will be critical’ to the country’s future economic prosperity. Led by Finance Minister Arnold Lippman, the country will begin its accession to the Centrican and Gallian League from January 1st. The landmark policy, a key dividing line in this year’s presidential election, will see Polasciana become the first member of the economic pact from Meridian Gallia and Greconia.
Speaking at an event on Tuesday night, Mr Lippman said that “as the holiday season begins, this New Year will mark a special and definitive time for the country – a new chapter in our history that is a big opportunity we all need to take together.” But Mr Lippman and the government face continued opposition and protest to the policy – led by the Nationalist challenger at the recent election, former Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Sukhorukov. Mr Sukhorukov, a former colleague of Prime Minister Asta Dahn, has rallied against the accession to the pact – saying that he believed it represented a “disastrous turn for the country”. “The decision, to take us into this Centrican Union, is an insult to the people of this country and its soldiers who fought for our independence through our history. It is nothing short of a disaster and we must fight it with every breath until our last”, said the Nationalist leader at a political rally at the weekend.
In return, Sukhorukov has been accused of ‘sowing a dangerous narrative’ by Lippman – who has become the most recognisable face of the government as the Prime Minister continues her early holiday before the New Year. Promising ‘renewal’ in January, Asta Dahn has been missing from the national stage since the disastrous presidential election for her party – and has been holidaying at her private residence in Chimsk. Also preparing for the New Year holidays, President Artamova and President-elect Tattar are both based at the presidential palace in Niveri and have been supportive of the government’s landmark move to join the economic union and will take part in a number of events on January 1st to mark the occasion.
However, business leaders have complained that the government has provided a lack of information as to what the move will mean, particularly related to the one year transition period beginning on New Year’s Day – a move designed to appease the government’s demand for the country to accede ‘by 2020’. This key election pledge of the Coalition at last year’s legislative elections caused major divisions in the government building up to this year’s presidential race – and has seen the Foreign Minister Fabian Meyer fall out with other members of the cabinet. Namely, Dmitry Lebedev who resigned two weeks ago as First Deputy Prime Minister.
The government’s statement says that workers and businesses should have ‘no concern’ – as League membership will only affect the ‘macro elements of the economy’, although does state that citizens will see ‘minor changes’ over the course of the year as the country adapts to requirements set by the union. Changes to visa processes will be the most visible, but business will also have to adapt to new tax and tariff arrangements over the course of the next twelve months in anticipation for the country’s ‘transitional completion’ in 2021. The statement also states, definitively, that the country will be a ‘member of the Gallian and Centrican League from the 1 January 2020, meeting this government’s pledge and the arrangements set out over the last four years’.
Mr Lippman, who has overseen the economy since Prime Minister Dahn came to power in 2018, called on opponents to ‘calm their use of dramatic and dangerous language’, saying that he believed this “is a moment for clarity and care”.
